Pneumatic pumping apparatus



A. E. CHODZKO.

PNEUMATIC PUMPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28. 1920.

1,372,994. Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. i l l I INVE/V 70/? A.E'- C'HUDZKD A. E. CHODZKO.

PNEUMATIC PU MPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 28, 1920.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADAM E. CHO DZKO, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PNEUMATIC PUMPING APPARATUS.

Application filed April 28,

To all to hem it may concern Be it known that I, ADAM E. Cnonzno, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improven'ients in Pneumatic Pumping Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to automatic means for admitting compressed air into a column of water to raise the same.

In my U. S. Patent No. 1,071,878, granted September 7, 1913, I disclose a pneumatic pumping apparatus in which is shown a valve for regulating the supply of compressed air to the apparatus, but said valve is inferior in its function and utility on account of the fact that said valve is always, when in use, either fully open ori'ully closed. Also on account of the fact that the valve is so located as not to be open for inspection and repair.

The object of the present invention is to provide a valve which may be easily accessible, and the operation of which will be much more sensitive than that of the valve in the patent referred to, thus insuring the action of the pump at all times and under all circumstances.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved automatic means; Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a planview thereof; Fig. 4: is a diagram illustrating the connection between the variations of water level in the pump and the supply of air; Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the form of a cam for operating a swinging arm.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a valve casing adapted to be connected, as shown at 2, to a compressed air supply pipe 3, for supplying the air lift pump, wherein the air, in the usual way, is admitted. into the pump at the open lower end of the delivery pipe 4. The flow of air from the entrance 2 to the pipe is controlled by a valve 5 normally seated upon a seat 6, and, when so seated, closing the access of compressed air from the inlet 2 to the pipe The valve 5 can slide with an easy it in the upper portion 7 of the casing 1, and a hole 8 is drilled through the bottom. of the valve 5, allowing the compressed air to enter the upper portion of said casii'ig, so that the valve 5 is balanced in all positions. It is guided by a stem 9, slidable vertically in a Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 377,265.

stuffing box 11, the weight of the stem 9 being suflicient .to balance the increased pressure on the under side of the valve 5 over that on itsupper side, due to chaincreased suriacc oi the lower side upon which said pressure is exerted, so that the valve 5 1s perfectly balanced. The upper portion of the stem 9 is connected, as shown at 10, with a lever 12 pivoted at 13, and having arms 14 joined as shown at 17, to one end of side arms 18 connected by a cross piece 19. The other ends of the side arms 18 are connected, as shown at 21,to a cylinder 22 that can move vertically along a stationary piston 23 connected by a hollow rod 24: with a hollow extension 26 of the valve casing 1 which receives a constant supply of compressed air through the entrance 2. A tube 27 within and spaced from the rod 24 and connected at its upper end with the top of the piston 23 and open at its lower end, allows C0111". pressed air to pass above the piston 23 while it also has access to the under side of the piston 23 tl'irough a hole 29 in the side 0f the rod 24:. The cylinder 22 is, therefore,"

balanced, its weight being compensated by the greater pressure area on the top ot the cylinder 22 than the pressure area on the bottom of said cylinder, the latter being reduced by the rod 24; passing therethrough.

The top and the bottom of the cylinder 22 have ports 58 and 59 leading to valve chests 81 and 32, each shown as being closed by a plug valve 33 pressed to its seat by a spring 34.

If either of the plug valves or blecders 83 is lifted from its seat, it allows the compressed air in the cylinder 22 to escape through the hole 35 or 36, and the balance of pressure being thus destroyed, the cylinder 22 moves up or down until the valve which was lifted from its seat is returned thereto. This is the well known mechanism of the floating valve used to control the operation oi? steam steering gears on board ships. The tripping oi: the hlceders 2-38 is caused by the movement oil a cross head 31' el'igaged by a tappet 38 and slidably engaged by screws 39 screwed into the casing of the cylinder 22, which cross head 37 engages the inner ends of stems 41 extending inwardly from the bleeders 33 causing one off said bleeders to be raised from its seat and compressed air to escape from the adjacent port 58 or 59 to a port 35, or 36 and thence to the atmosphere. The balance of pressure being thus destroyed, the cylinder 22 moves up or down until the valve raised from its seat is again forced thereonto by one of the coiled springs 34. The tappet 38 is rocked by a shaft 44 also connected to an arm 46, the latter being connected to a float 47 floating in water in a trough connected with the pump section, as shown at 48. The fluctuations of level of the water in the trough, caused by variations of supply, are transmitted by the float 47 to a shaft 44 and thereby to the tappet 38, which, by tripping the bleeders 33, causes the cylinder 22 to travel up or down. In other words, should the level of the water in the tank 38 rise, the float rises with it, thereby raising the rod 46 and lowering the arm 38 attached thereto and depressing the cross-head 37, thereby depressing one of the plungers 34, thereby also pressing the one of the valves 33 from its seat against the coiled spring. Thereby compressed air is allowed to flow out of the cylinder 22 through the opening 35 or 36 by a passage 59. This has the effect of raising the cylinder 22 about the plunger 23, thereby raising the lower end of the connecting rod 18, operating the bell crank lever 12, 13, 14 and raising the valve 5 from off its seat 6, thereby permitting compressed air to flow from the inlet-1 to the outlet 3, that is, into the next section of the water su l i e.

T l ie rffoliion of the cylinder corresponds to the opening of either of the bleeders to bring it back to closure,'and the length of travel necessary to do so would be equal to the rise or to the depression of the float, -if the arms 18 and 46 were of the same length. But said arms being as here shown, the displacements ofjthe cylinder 22 are exactly proportional to those of the float.

Now it is possible to calculate the exact lift of the level 5 for allowing the passing of a volume of compressed air corresponding to any particular supply of water.

It is likewise possible to determine the position of the float, and, therefore, of the cylinder 22, for each one of these particular supplies of water. 7

And, therefore, if we draw a straight line, an: if we mark along it, as shown in Fig. 5, from any point (at) distances (cml) (aa2) (ea-3) (m4) ((M5) representing the displacements of the cylinder 12 for supplies 1, 2,3, 4, 5; and if we now draw a perpendicular to M5 at each point of division, and if we mark (albl) ((4262) (04363) (($454) (a5b5) equal to the lifts of the air valve 5 corresponding to the same water supplies 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; a curve c725 obtained by joining the points a, 61, b2, b3, b4, by a continuously curved line represents the material connection between the variations of water level in the pump and the supply of air through the valve 5. If we paste a sheet of paper containing that curve on a sheet of metal, and if we cut the metal so as to match the curve exactly, we shall have a cam mold see Fig. 6. If we attached it to th cylinder, and move the cylinder up and (Lawn, and if the rocker arm is attached to a stem 9 and made to follow the cam at f, the motions of the cylinder will produce the exact required opening of the air valve.

is a purely mechanical question of convenience, the curve ((55 has been assimilated to an arc of a circle, and the cam has been replaced by a swinging arm (m2. pivoted atone end to the cylinder, as shown at m, and attached at the other to the rocker driving stem 9. This gives a reduced amount of friction. It is almost absolutely accurate, and it actually operates exactly as expected.

I claim:

1. In combination with a balanced nonreturn valve for admitting compressed air t a section of a water supply pipe connected to another section thereof, means for moving said valve from its seat, comprising a branch conduit leading from the supply of compressed air, an upwardly extending pipe attached to said conduit, a hollow plunger attached to said pipe, a cylinder sliding upon said plunger and pipe, said pipe having an aperture on each side of said plunger, permitting the passage therefrom of compressed air to the cylinder on each side of the plunger, an operative connection between said cylinder and said valve for raising the valve with the movement of the cylinder, and means actuated by a change in the water level in the latter for moving the cylinder on the plunger.

2. In combination with a balanced nonreturn valve for admitting compressed air to a section of a water supply pipe connected to another section thereof, means for moving said valve from its seat, comprising a branch conduit leading from the supply of compressed air, an upwardly extending pipe attached to said conduit, a hollow plunger attached to said pipe, a cylinder sliding upon said plunger and pipe, said pipe having an aperture on each side of said plunger, permitting the passage therefrom of compressed air to the cylinder on each side of the plunger, an operative connection betw en said cylinder and said valve for raising the alve with the movement of the cylinder, a float adapted to be raised with the water in the latter section, and means actuated by the movement of the float for bleeding the air out of one end or the other of the cylinder.

3. In combination with a balanced nonreturn valve for admitting compressed air to a section of a water supply pipe connected to another section thereof, means for moving said valve from its seat, comprising a branch conduit leading from the supply of compressed air, an upwardly extending pipe attached to said conduit, a hollow plunger attached to said pipe, a cylinder sliding ing an aperture on each side of sai plunger, permitting the passage therefrom of compressed air to the cylinder on each sideof the plunger, an operative connection between said cylinder and said valve for raisupon said plunger and pipe, said Cpipe hav-V ing the valve with the movement of the cylinder, a float adapted to be actuated by a change in the level of the Water in the latter section, a spring actuated valve for closing the escape of compressed air from each side of the plunger, and means actuated by the rise and fall of the float for openingone or the other of said valves.

ADAM E. CHODZKO. 

